Tag Archives: Gibraltar

An almost empty Piazza del Duomo on Tuesday in Milan, Italy. The Italian government imposed restrictions on movement across the entire country as cases of the virus soared. (Credit: Alessandro Grassani for The New York Times)

A cartoon in last week’s Spectator (British) showed a couple in front of their TV set listening to endless news on the coronavirus. The husband turned to his wife and said, “I sure miss Brexit.” British readers will remember that the news was dominated by Brexit for 3 ½ years!

When we first got a television set in the late 1950’s, TV news lasted ten minutes in the evening. That’s all. If the coronavirus had been around then, we would have avoided all the panic and negativity that surrounds it now. With an uncountable number of 24/7 news channels, we are daily saturated with news of the virus. It’s overwhelming us and affecting people mentally as well as physically.

There is no toilet paper available anywhere in the Lansing area (at least I haven’t found any). No drinking water, either. For some inexplicable reason, stores have also run out of vegetarian beans. Entire rows of shelving are empty. From Monday afternoon at 3pm, all restaurants and bars in Michigan will have to close. They will only be allowed to sell take-out food. Schools closed from Monday for at least three weeks. We are all encouraged to stay home. In England, if one person in the family gets sick, then everybody should self-isolate for 14 days to allow the virus to run its course.

It’s affecting international relations, with flights between Europe and America suspended for a month.

The virus is changing the world. The gradual advancement of globalization over the last 75 years is under severe strain, with nations increasingly looking after themselves. Some European countries have closed their borders to their neighbors and are not following the lead of the EU in their national affairs. It’s a case of every country for itself.

Will we ever return to normalcy?

MR

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Covid-19 virus has “swept away” the last remaining “illusions” about the EU German-Foreign-Policy, 18 March, 2020

Newsletter – EU Solidarity (II) – Experts expect the Corona crisis to have a serious impact on the EU and speculate a possible disintegration of the Union. According to an expert in the USA, the heavy human toll that the pandemic will exact and the feeling “that the European institutions are not helping,” could give rise to centrifugal tendencies, particularly in those countries hardest hit, such as Italy and Spain, which are also the countries deeply indebted. Tensions between Germany, on the one hand, and France and Italy on the other, have been already increasing since Berlin unilaterally closed Germany’s borders, thereby annulling the Schengen Agreements. Whereas the Élysée Palace has angrily complained about “the unilateral measures at the borders,” the pro-EU Italian daily La Repubblica, notes that Berlin, rather than a detailed coordination “with the partners,” in one of the worst crises the Union has faced, it pursues “a national logic.” Therefore, the Covid-19 virus has “swept away” the last remaining “illusions” about the EU. (https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/news/detail/8222/)

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“Stay home” is not a sufficient plan
by James Hamlin, March 11, 2020, The Atlantic

This coronavirus is unknown to our species. Once it breaks into one of our cells, the extent of its spread through the body seems to vary significantly. The experience can slowly progress from the familiar— cough, congestion, fever — to a life-threatening inflammatory response as the virus spreads down into the lungs, filling the airways with fluid. Survivors can have permanent scarring in the lungs. The virus can also spread into other organs, causing liver damage or gastrointestinal disease. These effects can play out over longer periods than in the flu, sometimes waxing and waning. Some patients have begun to feel better, then fallen critically ill. The disease can be fatal despite receiving optimal medical care.

In retrospect, was it wise to have relied on China to produce essential parts for the supply chains of goods vital to our national security? Does it appear wise to have moved the production of pharmaceuticals and lifesaving drugs for heart disease, strokes and diabetes to China? Does it appear wise to have allowed China to develop a virtual monopoly on rare earth minerals crucial to the development of weapons for our defense? (Pat Buchanan, 3/13/2020)

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In the corona crisis, the German government has initiated measures aiding the German economy, but refuses urgently recommended measures by the WHO for protecting the population. Berlin is doing “everything” to prevent the coronavirus COVID-19 from “affecting the economy throughout Germany,” German Minster of the Economy, Peter Altmaier, was quoted saying early this month. The measures are reinforcing positions of German businesses vis à vis their global rivals. The following steps will be discussed tomorrow, Friday. At the same time, the government is opposing the closure of schools and kindergartens, as WHO and leading experts are recommending, because children transmit the virus for a longer period than adults, according to initial studies. Germany’s Minister of Health, Jens Spahn, on the other hand, declared that closing schools should be avoided, so that parents are still available as workers for the enterprises. This, however, would eliminate any possibility of containment of the virus, as several Asian countries have been able to do. According to Chancellor Angela Merkel, “60 to 70 percent” of the population could be infected – throughout Germany. (German Foreign Policy, 3/12/2020)

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New Zealand’s PM has said nearly everyone entering the country from midnight on Sunday must self-isolate to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Jacinda Ardern said the new measure also included returning New Zealanders. The only exemption is for small Pacific islands with no confirmed virus cases. “I make no apologies. This is an unprecedented time,” Ms. Ardern said, describing the new rules as the strictest in the world. New Zealand has six confirmed cases. (BBC, 3/14/2020)

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FINANCIAL PROBLEMS STARTED A LONG TIME AGO

A decade of aggressive risk-taking, nurtured in part by central banks, has ended in traumatic fashion. This week marked the biggest one-day falls for Wall Street and UK equities since the great crash of 1987 while European bourses recorded all-time daily slumps. In the space of just a few weeks, record equity peaks and elevated credit valuations have succumbed to a long-feared moment of reckoning. Government bond markets had been warning for a while that 2020 was going to be make-or-break for global economic growth. Meanwhile, the leaderboard in stock markets had been dominated by defensive, high-quality companies — another signal that cast doubt on the widely held view that corporate earnings would rebound strongly this year. But such signs were mostly ignored. Money poured into corporate bonds, emerging markets and already crowded equity sectors such as US technology shares, pushing valuations toward extreme levels. Until last month, that is. When questioned about the risk-versus-reward dynamic of buying assets at these prices in recent months, the response from professional investors pretty much boiled down to a need to “put money to work”, accompanied by a wink suggesting that central banks had their backs. This week’s rout in markets is of giant proportions, triggered by an oil price war on top of an escalating health crisis across Europe and North America. An abrupt US travel ban on Europeans for 30 days triggered Thursday’s sharp sell-off across markets. The adverse sentiment also acknowledged the limited monetary ammunition central banks have, leaving investors wondering whether the fiscal response in Europe and the US can offset the economic damage currently being wrought. (This market was in trouble long before the virus hit. (Michael MacKenzie, Financial Times, 3/14/2020)

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Cyril Ramaphosa lists countries on South Africa’s travel ban

“We will limit contact between persons who may be infected. We’re imposing a travel ban on foreign nationals from Italy, Iran, South Korea, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and China. We have cancelled visas from those countries. We advise against all travel to the EU, the United States, China, Iran, the UK and South Korea – this is effective immediately.

“Any foreign national who has visited these countries in the past 20 days, will be denied a visa. Anyone returning to South Africa from these high-risk countries will be quarantined for 14 days. All travelers who entered SA from these nations since mid-February, are asked to get themselves tested.” (15 March, 2020)

Netanyahu’s trial delayed by over 2 months as court activity limited over virusAs country slows down with introduction of fresh far-reaching rules in attempt to stop pandemic, May 24 date announced just two days before scheduled hearing

The opening of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial in three corruption cases has been pushed off by more than two months due to new restrictions on Israel’s courts as part of the new measures to combat the coronavirus, the Jerusalem District Court announced Sunday morning. The move comes just two days before the scheduled March 17 hearing, which according to the Courts Administration of Israel has now been postponed until May 24. “In light of developments regarding the spread of the coronavirus, and taking into account the latest guidelines given and the declaration of a state of emergency in the courts, we have decided to cancel the scheduled hearing,” the three judges presiding over the case wrote in their announcement. On Saturday night, Justice Minister Amir Ohana declared a 24-hour “state of emergency” in Israel’s court system, “as part of the national effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.”

[Zimbabwe] – Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri . . . at the weekend insinuated that COVID-19 was God’s response to countries that imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe. Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri was speaking at a Zimbabwe National Liberation War Collaborators Association meeting in Chinhoyi on Saturday. She said in Shona: “This coronavirus that has come are sanctions against the countries that have imposed sanctions on us. God is now punishing them and they are staying indoors now, while their economy is screaming like what they did to ours by imposing sanctions on us. “Trump should know that he is not God. They must face the consequences of coronavirus, so that they also feel the pain.” . . . President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe stands by the international community in fighting the Covid-19, and that it was time to look after each other, especially the weak and vulnerable.

DAILYKENN.com – God is punishing the USA and other Western nations for its sanctions on Zimbabwe, the African nation’s defense minister said.

Oppah Muchinguri said the coronavirus is God’s punishment for “sanctions against the countries that have imposed sanctions on us,” according to reports.

Zimbabwe has suffered a decades-long downward spiral after ousting the Rhodesian government. White settlers rescued the region from a millennia of indescribable misery, replacing it with a wonderland of amazing technological advancement. Those advancements included modern health care that has saved the lives of countless millions of black Africans.

Could it be that God has blessed Western nations for colonizing African regions and introducing them to advanced technologies? (dailykenn, 3/17/2020)

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Now it’s time to lose the two most famous phrases of the moment.One is “Don’t panic!” The other is “an abundance of caution.”
“Don’t panic” is what nervous, defensive people say when someone warns of coming trouble. They don’t want to hear it, so their message is “Don’t worry like a coward, be blithely unconcerned like a brave person.” One way or another we’ve heard it a lot from administration people.

This is how I’ve experienced it: “Captain, that appears to be an iceberg.” “Don’t panic, officer, full steam ahead.”

“Don’t panic,” in the current atmosphere, is a way of shutting up people who are using their imaginations as a protective tool. It’s an implication of cowardice by cowards. As for “abundance of caution,” at this point, in a world-wide crisis, the cautions we must take aren’t abundant, they’re reasonable and realistic.(Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal opinion (extract), March 12, 2020)

Spain’s foreign minister has welcomed post-Brexit talks with the UK as an “incredible opportunity” for the countries to address the status of Gibraltar after centuries of dispute. Arancha González reacted warmly to calls by Gibraltar’s government for a free-movement area with Spain and suggested that traditional concepts of sovereignty were less important than a series of recent accords on issues such as tax and fighting contraband.

Spain has sought to regain sovereignty over Gibraltar since Britain took control of the Mediterranean territory through the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Madrid has at times instigated delays at its border with Gibraltar, hitting the territory’s economy.

However, Ms, González, who took office last month after a career focusing on international trade, argued that Spain needed to focus on “21st century sovereignty” and practical issues that would strengthen ties with the territory. “We have an incredible opportunity to fix a number of things that we have not been able to fix in the last 300 years,” she told the Financial Times. “At the end of the day, whatever agreement we find . . . will have to work for them [for Gibraltar] and it will have to work for us; that’s the only red line in reality.” . . . She added: “The Gibraltar population needs the Spaniards to function and the Spaniards need the Gibraltarians in order to enhance their prosperity . . . What matters in the 21st century is managing interdependence.” Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar’s chief minister, has called for a special deal in which Gibraltar would become part of Europe’s Schengen free-movement area, adding that under such an arrangement, the number of Spaniards working in the territory could increase dramatically. (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved)

Bombshell letters expose Belgian trawlers fishing off Britain’s Brighton Pier BREXIT means the UK can finally take back control of its fishing waters, but there are fears that foreign vessels may continue to use them illegally – and documents unearthed by Express.co.uk have revealed a row over claims Belgian trawlers were spotted fishing off Brighton Pier in the Seventies.

Under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which came into effect in 1983, EU countries have full access to each other’s fishing waters. National quotas were divided up using historical data, which many British fishermen feel the UK got a raw deal out of. Currently, around 68 percent of the fish caught in UK waters are caught by foreign vessels. Outside the EU, the UK would be entitled to its own Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which stretches up to 200 miles away from its shores or up to the median point between it and its neighbor (e.g. halfway across the Irish Sea or English Channel). However, before the CFP, boats from other European countries used to flout the UK’s fishing limits. For example, the UK had general fishing limits of 12 miles, but France and Belgium were entitled to fish in the 6-12 miles – and, even then, Belgian vessels were accused of fishing even closer to Britain’s shoreline. According to documents unearthed by Express.co.uk in the National Archives, there were accusations of persistent breaches of the six mile limit by Belgian trawlers off Brighton and the Sussex coast in the early Seventies.

Germany plans to send a warship to the Indian Ocean The German Navy plans to send its frigate Hamburg to the Indian Ocean in June to conduct port visits and partake in a regional, naval powwow on the French island of Réunion, the service announced March 12 Cologne, Germany, Defense News, 12 March 2020

The planned Hamburg deployment comes as Germany’s defense leaders test the waters for new engagements far from home. The sea service especially is seen by some as a potential harbinger for the type of out-of-area missions that the homeland defense-focused German military wants to expand to underwrite its geopolitical ambitions. “German Navy Chief Vice Adm. Andreas Krause has for years argued that Germany needs a presence in the Indian Ocean.” . . . Bruns said the Navy has been operating in the Indian Ocean’s environs for some time, with mine clearing in the Arabian Gulf, counterterrorism missions under the banner of Operation Enduring Freedom and the European Union’s counter-piracy operation, Atalanta, off the coast of Somalia. “The Indian Ocean is a vibrant and strategically important maritime theater,” he said. “German sea lines of communication run through the area, and the great powers are wrestling for influence.”

Krause . . . outlined the country’s maritime spheres of interest in a Defense News op-ed last December. “They range from the northern flank, i.e., the north Atlantic, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, down to the Mediterranean, and extend into the wider Indian Ocean region.”

The political rise of southern Africa’s machete gangsZimbabwe News, 16 March 2020

A dangerous cocktail of unemployment, social exclusion, poverty, corruption and gold smuggling has led to the rise of violent machete gangs, which are offering their services to local power brokers and criminal gangs fighting for power in both Mozambique and Zimbabwe. International media reports have shown that Islamist militants have carried out a number of brutal attacks and killings in Mozambique that have left hundreds dead and displaced more than 65,000 people, according to estimates by humanitarian agencies including Human Rights Watch. A wave of violence perpetrated by a criminal gang in Cabo Delgado, 2,000 kilometres north of Maputo, in the far north of Mozambique near the border with Tanzania, came to public attention after shocking armed attacks on police stations in October 2017. The group deploys thugs to attack and decapitate people, apparently indiscriminately, with machetes and firearms, and burn down houses and villages as part of its campaign of terror aimed at forcing the Mozambican state to adopt extreme Islamist practices. A study found the group wants the full adoption of Sharia law, along with an Islamic education system. Its membership is drawn from among unemployed and marginalized youth, particularly speakers of the Kimwani language, the study said.

The gangs, operating under code names “MaShurugwi” or “Mabhemba,” have been linked to senior officials, right up to the top of the government. This may explain their boldness — they appear to operate with impunity; few arrests are ever made; they have even, on several occasions, invaded hospitals to finish off their victims; and are not averse to raiding police stations to free fellow gang members.(http://www.thezimbabwenewslive.com/the-political-rise-of-southern-africas-machete-gangs/)

DAILYKENN.com — Thousands were expected to show up at the Wailing Wall to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Hundreds showed up.

Worshipers recited prayers and Psalms, sang and even danced in a circle, asking God to help in the finding of a cure for the disease, in a ceremony promoted by Chief Rabbi of Safed and president of the Rabbinical Community Association Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu in partnership with the Israeli branch of the US Orthodox Union.

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TO THE POINT

A newspaper in Darwin, Australia, included a few blank pages last Saturday. It was their way of helping readers get through the shortage of toilet paper! I well remember my mother talking about the Depression and how her family had to use newspaper, at a time when the print often came off onto your skin. It led to some humorous comments. Toilet paper was not invented until 1857. Now we can’t imagine life without it.

Beijing has, according to President Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro, already nationalized one American factory making medical masks. Moreover, Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo on air repeatedly said the Chinese forced at least one ship carrying masks, gloves, and other protective gear to the United States to return to China. (Gordon C. Chang, Gatestone, 3/17/2020)

Dailykenn.com – If you don’t like diversity, get out of the country. That is the message of Tunahan Kuzu, the leader of a Muslim political party in The Netherlands, to native Dutch. DENK is a relatively new political party, having been formed in 2015. It is largely comprised of Turkish Muslims. (3/11/2020)

Good sleep hygiene is the new wellness goal. Try telling that to an eight-month-old baby. (Hadley Freeman, the Guardian, 3/14/2020)

The call for a National Day of Prayer on Sunday should have included a call to repentance. The US continues to kill 1.3 million babies a year, is the world’s leading producer of pornography and peoples’ morals are sadly lacking. We need to change a great deal before we can expect God to listen to us.

One of the first casualties of the coronavirus is “Playboy” magazine which is to cease publication with the Spring issue.

Our neighborhood has had internet problems all week, so my blog is shorter than usual. It should be solved by 5pm tonight.

“At the July 7-8 talks in Doha, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization), backed by Qatar and the U.S., emerged victorious, extracting major advantages from Afghan delegates and the international community. A key Taliban advantage was that they held on to the Islamic Emirate’s long-standing position of not recognizing the elected government of Afghanistan as a legitimate entity. While the Afghan delegates, including those from the government, were forced to attend the talks in their personal capacity, the Taliban representatives came to the table as the Taliban.

“As per a statement issued by Qatar, Dr. Mutlaq bin Majid Al-Qahtani, the Qatari Special Envoy for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution, announced the “success” of the talks, stating: “We are very pleased today to reach a joint statement as a first step to peace.” The “success” and the “first step to peace” which Al-Qahtani spoke of belong to the Taliban and shari’a, not to the democratic government in Kabul, not to Afghan women who suffered under the Taliban’s shari’a rule during the 1990s, and not to common Afghans whose civil liberties are at stake in Doha.

“The Afghan Taliban – as a result of the Doha talks which were sponsored jointly by Qatar and Germany – marched closer to their stated objectives of enforcing Islamic shari’a rule in Afghanistan and of restructuring the Afghan government institutions, including the military, to their liking.” (Tufail Ahmad, MEMRI #191. 7/12/19)

A total of almost 3,500 coalition forces have died in the 18-year conflict.

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BRITISH CLASH WITH IRAN

There was a time, even in my lifetime, when the British dominated the Persian Gulf. But that was before 1971. Now, a British naval presence is once again essential, to protect British shipping. A British tanker was intercepted by Iranian vessels earlier in the week.

This was seen as retaliation for a previous confrontation off the coast of (British) Gibraltar.

Things were a lot easier during the four centuries when Britain had the greatest navy in the world. The navy held the “multitude of nations” together (Genesis 48:19). Since World War II it has been allowed to decline, so that more and more money could be spent on Britain’s welfare system and its National Health Service.

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BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO US QUITS

The American Ambassador to the Court of St. James (London), has always, in effect, bought his way into the position. His contribution to the presidential election campaign would have been one of the largest contributions made.

Not so the other way around.

Britain’s diplomatic service is always made up of career diplomats. Nobody has bought a position and the service is non-political.

This week, unexpectedly, it became “political” when a memo from the British Ambassador in Washington was leaked. The memo evaluated the Trump Administration as “inept.”

President Trump exploded and the Ambassador resigned. President Trump rightly felt he could no longer work with the man.

The Ambassador will take early retirement (he was due to retire at the end of the year, anyway). The big question is: who leaked the memo and why?

It may have something to do with Brexit. What doesn’t nowadays?

Somebody might be trying to damage US-UK relations at a time when Brexit is imminent. Could this worsen relations with the US and therefore make it more likely that Britain will stay in Europe? Or could it have been an attempt to get rid of a man who is critical of the US president, in time for Boris Johnson to become PM and appoint a more pro-US Ambassador?

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CHENNAI OUT OF WATER

India’s sixth biggest city has run out of water. Tankers have to deliver water to its seven million plus inhabitants.

It highlights a problem that is set to make life much harder for people around the world.

Two of the most prominent prime ministers of the western world are being accused of corruption. The removal of one could make a big difference in regional security.

According to the Guardian yesterday:

“Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is facing the biggest political scandal of his administration. The affair centers around allegations that his former attorney general, Jody-Wilson Raybould, was improperly pressured by some of his closest advisers to prevent the prosecution of a large Canadian engineering firm over accusations of fraud and bribery. Thus far, the scandal has been politically costly; Gerald Butts, a longtime friend of Trudeau’s, and his closest adviser, resigned two weeks ago. Wilson-Raybould has resigned, too. A handful of polls are showing the scandal is politically unpopular for the governing Liberals – which is worrying for them, given there is a federal election in October.”

Mr. Netanyahu faces possible charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in connection with three cases. The prime minister is alleged to have accepted gifts from wealthy businessmen and dispensed favors to try to get more positive press coverage.

Mr. Netanyahu, who faces an election, said in a TV address that the case would “collapse like a house of cards.” In a defiant broadcast, he repeated his assertion that he is the victim of a left-wing “witch-hunt” intended to topple him ahead of the closely contested election on 9th April. (BBC, 3/1)

Mr Netanyahu has made Israel a lot stronger in recent years. His departure could weaken the country

“A climate of hate is emerging in France. The targets are varied, apparently unconnected and shifting: Jews, journalists, the rich, policemen, members of parliament, the president.

“When the yellow vest movement emerged last November, it was broadly a social protest and fiscal revolt. But the infiltration of ultra-left and extreme right agitators, and the determination of a radical core to seek the overthrow of Mr. Macron, has hardened the movement’s edge. Weekly scenes of violent clashes with riot police fill French television screens and plumes of tear gas fill the air on the streets of Paris and other cities. This relentless backdrop seems to have legitimized a form of violent hate. What was once confined to the unhinged ramblings of social media groups has erupted into public.” (‘Spreading like poison,” The Economist, February 23rd.)

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CHINA/SAUDI ARABIA GET CLOSER

“It is, in its way, the most shocking spectacle in world politics since the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union: Even as Beijing is stepping up its persecution of Muslim Uighurs, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia cozied up to Chinese President Xi Jinping on his trip to China last week.

“More than a million Uighur Muslims are said to be held in Chinese concentration and “reeducation” camps, where beatings and mass rapes are reliably reported to be perpetrated against detainees. Yet the Crown Prince of the leading Sunni Islamic state signed almost $30 billion in trade agreements with China, hailed the long problem-free relationship between the two countries, pledged support for the Belt and Road initiative, and announced that Saudi Arabia respected China’s need to protect its domestic security in its own way.

“Saudi Arabia is not the only Muslim power kowtowing to China. Pakistan has also fallen strangely silent when it comes to the concentration camps now dotting the landscape in Xinjiang. A country that regularly whips itself into fits of murderous rage over the supposed plight of Muslims in Indian-controlled Kashmir remains rigorously calm about the massive religious repression by its more powerful neighbor.

“Another sign of the strange new brotherhood between Islam and its persecutors: Saudi Arabia has pledged $10 billion to help build a refinery in the Pakistani port of Gwadar to speed Gulf oil across Eurasia. Among other things, the refinery will make it easier for China to fuel the vehicles transporting Muslim detainees to concentration camps.” (“The Saudis hedge their American bets,” WSJ, 2/26).

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PAKISTANI JIHADISTS KILL 40 INDIANS

A terror attack by a Pakistani jihadist group could lead to war between India and Pakistan, two nuclear powers, after the Pakistani group attacked and killed 40 Indian troops in Kashmir.

The responsible party was Jaish-e-Mohammed (Army of Mohammed).

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US WANTS TO ARREST BIN LADEN’S SON

“A son of Osama bin Laden is emerging as a leader in al Qaeda, the US State Department says, and it’s willing to pay up to $1 million for information on his whereabouts. Hamza bin Laden, whose father was killed by US Navy Seals in Pakistan in 2011, is taking the reins of the terror group, the State Department said late Thursday.

“The State Department wants information on Hamza bin Laden.

“Hamza bin Laden . . . is emerging as a leader” in the al Qaeda franchise, the department said in a statement. “He has released audio and video messages on the Internet, calling on his followers to launch attacks against the United States and its Western allies, and he has threatened attacks against the United States in revenge for the May 2011 killing of his father by US military forces.” (CNN, 3/1)

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QT ANGER OVER BREXIT

The BBC’s Question Time is one of the most popular programs on British television. It gives a live audience (supposedly representing all viewpoints) the opportunity to express themselves on important topics. Last Night’s QT was no exception. The subject of Brexit was being discussed.

With only four weeks to go until the date of Britain’s departure from the EU, one member of the audience accused Britain’s three main political parties of betraying the British people.

“A furious Question Time audience member ripped into MPs on the BBC panel insisting all parties had “betrayed” Britons’ Brexit vote. The audience member pointed out Theresa May’s commitment to leaving the EU on March 29, amid fears of a delay, and Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto pledge to deliver Brexit, with the party moving towards backing People’s Vote (a second referendum). The audience member said: “I actually think all three parties have betrayed every single one of us.

“Theresa May, 52 times, said we will leave on March 29, she is now extending. Well, probably will.

“Corbyn said we won’t have a second referendum, now he is going to entertain that.

“Liberals, Nick Clegg ,said there won’t be a European army.”

There’s been a lot of lying over Brexit. Could this be the end of British democracy, as we have known it?

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EU BACKS SPANISH CLAIM TO GIBRALTAR

The British government has complained about language in EU contingency plans over a no-deal Brexit. Under the legislation, direct flights between the EU and the UK will continue for nine months in the event of a no-deal Brexit. But Gibraltar International Airport isn’t included in Brussels’ plan, which refers to Spain’s claim on the 800-metre section of land.

Theresa May continues to “pursue the east wind” (Hosea 12:1). If parliament approves her Brexit proposals, the United Kingdom will be a vassal state of the German-led European Union. The UK itself could also break up, losing Northern Ireland . Additionally, many Scots are agitating for independence, partly out of a desire to stay in the EU. Now Gibraltar has become a major point of contention.

The British Spectator magazine is still the best weekly read in the United Kingdom. Each week, the editor posts a “weekly highlights” column summarizing what’s inside each issue. Here’s the latest:

“The dust has settled on Theresa May’s Brexit deal – and it’s looking more dangerous than ever, says James Forsyth. Her deal means if Britain ever wants to move further from Europe, it’ll have to leave Northern Ireland behind. This choice, between sovereignty or the union, could tear her party apart. But what about the deal itself? Martin Howe QCgives the legal verdict: it’s not bad, he says – it’s atrocious. MPs who say we can change it later haven’t read the small print. In his diary, Jacob Rees-Moggrules himself out of the Tory leadership race and (almost) suggests Boris.” (The Spectator Weekly Highlights, Fraser Nelson, 11/22)

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SPANISH HYPOCRISY

Controversy over the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar could scupper the EU/UK summit this weekend. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, says the country will veto any deal unless Spain has a say in the colony’s future.

Gibraltar has been a British territory since 1713 when it was ceded to the British under the Treaty of Utrecht. It has been British longer than it was ever Spanish. In the past, it has been a vital military base, for the British Royal Navy and allied navies.

Successive Spanish governments have been demanding the “return” of Gibraltar. A big obstacle to that is the fact that 96% of Gibraltar’s 35,000 inhabitants want to remain British. A recent complication, giving Spain an opportunity, is that the same percentage voted to remain in the EU in the British referendum held over two years ago. This does not mean that the Gibraltarians have changed their minds on continued association with the UK; that comes first.

The Spanish are being hypocritical, a fact that the British government seems reluctant to point out. Spain itself has two overseas territories across the water in North Africa. Ceuta and Mellila are two Spanish enclaves claimed by Morocco.

Spain won’t budge on this issue – why should they expect the British to do otherwise?

At the same time, it should be pointed out that Spain is ignoring the referendum result on independence in the Spanish region of Catalonia.

European governments don’t take much notice of democracy – unless, of course, the result is to their liking.

The 2016 UK referendum on EU membership did not go as expected; so now demands are being made for a second referendum. This is an old trick. It shows how undemocratic European leaders are, including the Spanish prime minister.

Latest news: Late Saturday, after Britain made concessions on Gibraltar, Spain withdrew its objections – until next time. The EU can now go ahead and vote on the Brexit proposals. The British parliament will vote in a few days. Expect more compromise — by the UK, not the EU!

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RIOTING IN PARIS OVER SECOND WEEKEND

While the price of oil is falling, it’s actually going up in France. This has led to demonstrations in Paris. The problem is not petrol – it’s the government. When governments decide the price of anything, it’s easy to add on yet another tax.

Michigan, whose first European settlement was founded by a Frenchman, Jacques Marquette, over three centuries ago, should learn a lesson here. Our new Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, promises to fix the roads. Expect a higher fuel tax. One way or another, the people will have to pay higher taxes. What’s happening to the gas taxes we’re already paying?

“The Michigan Capitol Confidential is now reporting that a large part of our gas tax is going towards paying down previous debt incurred by the Engler and Granholm administrations. This debt to improve our roads and bridges started accruing back in 1989. Apparently both Governors John Engler, a Republican and Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, promoted these major debt initiatives to improve our roads and bridges back then only for others to pay for it later; that later is today.

“Apparently each year taxes collected to improve our roads and bridges are used to pay interest and principal of that previous debt in the amount of approximately $200 million.

“To put that number in perspective let us look at the current fiscal year. In this current fiscal year, $206.0 million of the taxes Michigan spends on roads will go to repay principal and interest on this debt, according to a House Fiscal Agency memo. That means that the $206 million in gas tax will not go to improve our roads or bridges. The state tax increase that as I stated above added about seven cents to the price of a gallon of gas, starting last January 1, 2017, was projected to generate an additional $313 million for road repairs this year. Which really translates into only an additional $107 million going towards improving our infrastructure, unless they continue to fund the infrastructure improvements at the previous rate plus the additional $313 million.”

In a similar way, our property taxes are almost $500 a year higher as our township has to pay off past debt. This is set to get worse as a settlement was agreed with a teen’s family, following his shooting death at the hands of a policeman. The settlement runs into the millions and has to be paid by somebody.

The problem with debt is that it won’t go away. Eventually, it has to be repaid. Just wait until the $22 trillion federal debt falls due!

It’s not just government that is in debt. Black Friday will likely see millions added to the national private debt load. People are addicted to over-spending.

It’s not surprising that a survey this week showed Americans love money more than people (family and friends). People and God came in second and third place.

King Solomon, one of the wealthiest men in history, wrote the following advice 3,000 years ago. These words of wisdom remain valid today.

“He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver;
Nor he who loves abundance, with increase.
This also is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10; NKJV)

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FRANCE FRAGMENTING

In a new program, Macron’s government is offering Arabic lessons in France’s public schools to children as young as six years old, purportedly to facilitate integration.

French authorities seem to ignore that the vast majority of terrorists from France have been French citizens, who spoke a perfect French and, unlike their parents, were born in France. They were perfectly “integrated.” They rejected it.

(“The Fracturing of France,” Giulio Meotti, Gatestone, 11/24)

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HILLARY CLINTON WAKES UP

Perhaps because she was defeated at the polls by a populist, Mrs. Clinton, 2016 Democratic candidate for the presidency, finally sees the connection between the immigration invasion and populism.

“Europe’s leaders need to send a much stronger message that they will no longer offer “refuge and support” to migrants if they want to curb the right-wing populism spreading across the Continent, Hillary Clinton warned in an interview published Thursday.

‘Mrs. Clinton said that while the decision of some nations to welcome migrants was admirable, it had opened the door to political turmoil, the rise of the right and Britain’s decision to withdraw from the European Union.

“I think Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame,” Mrs. Clinton said in the interview with The Guardian, which was conducted before the United States midterm elections this month.

“I admire the very generous and compassionate approaches that were taken particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, but I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part, and must send a very clear message — ‘we are not going to be able to continue to provide refuge and support’ — because if we don’t deal with the migration issue it will continue to roil the body politic,” she said.” (“Hillary Clinton says Europe must ‘get a handle’ on migration to thwart populism,” Matt Stevens, NYT, 11/22)

Does this mean that Mrs Clinton will no longer support the Democrats when it comes to illegal immigration? Not likely — most illegals eventually vote for the welfare party!

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US LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST UN MIGRATION AGENDA

“Under the Trump administration, the U.S. is leading the charge in pushing back against the U.N.’s migration agenda — in a move that is picking up support from other countries and giving political cover to those seeking to join them.” (Fox News, 11/23)

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DON’T TELL THE TRUTH!

“The European Court of Human Rights ruled on October 25 that to state that the Islamic prophet Muhammad “liked to do it with children” and “… A 56-year-old and a six-year-old?… What do we call it, if it is not paedophilia?” goes “beyond the permissible limits of an objective debate,” and could be classified as “an abusive attack on the Prophet of Islam which could stir up prejudice and threaten religious peace.” (Judith Bergman, Gatestone, 11/23)

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PAGANS OUTNUMBER PRESBYTERIANS IN US

In headlines across the country, we are now being treated to the fact that modern-day witches outnumber Presbyterians in the United States. We’ve gone from a nation where our founding revolution was referred to as “The Presbyterian Revolt” by the British, to a nation where millennials are only able to construct political arguments based on Harry Potter – a fictional boy wizard invented by a British children’s author.

What did everyone expect to happen when they abandoned the founding faith of our nation? People would just become shiny secular atheists who use reason and logic to rule their lives?

Pew Research reports that the number of practicing pagans, witches or “Wiccans” now totals 1.5 million in America, compared to 1.4 million Presbyterians. These modern-day witches are noted for their adherence to radical feminism, political Marxism, and worshiping trees and plants in the forest to unlock their “higher selves.” (In fairness, a lot of Presbyterian Church-USA sermons are indistinguishable from this.) (“Paganism outstripping Christianity in America,” Christian Patriot Daily)

Europe is the worst enemy of the US? You cannot be serious. Islamism, Russia, illegal immigrants . . . whatever, but surely not Europe! Are we not still together in NATO? Do we not conduct huge amounts of trade every day? Do we not share the same cultural roots, the same civilization, the same vision of the future? Did France not give the US her famous Statue of Liberty – “Liberty Enlightening the World?”

Not anymore. In a sense, Europe looks like a continent where American Democrats have been in power for 30 years, not only in the European states, but also at the level of the European Union. (Gatestone Institute, 20th July).

Wanted: US ambassadors in Europe

The Trump administration’s slow pace in appointing ambassadors, which has left major posts vacant around the world, is hampering the ability to carry out US policy. “Now is a bad time not to have an ambassador in Germany,” the top US Army commander in Europe said. (Politico) (FT 7/20)

Melanie Phillips writes on Brexit:

Good gracious! Someone tell me I’m not dreaming! A Eurocrat has spoken the truth about Britain’s negotiations with the EU.

In an article in The Times Hans-Olaf Henkel, a senior German politician who is deputy head of the European Parliament’s industry, research and energy committee, accuses the European Union’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier of trying to punish Britain by making a deliberate “mess” of key elements of Brexit.

You don’t say!

Mr. Henkel writes that the European parliament’s Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, was responsible in “no small part for the disaster of Brexit” and “now wants to punish the British, full stop.”

“He says he doesn’t want to, but I’m afraid he does. My impression is that Mr. Barnier wants to do the same. The reason is simple. They would seek to make sure that Brexit is such a catastrophe that no country dares to take the step of leaving the EU again.”

Precisely.

(“So just who is really messing up Brexit talks?” 7/20)

KING AND QUEEN OF SPAIN VISIT UK

The King and Queen of Spain were on a state visit to the United Kingdom last week. Predictably, the King brought up the question of Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory at the southern tip of Spain. It’s been under British rule for over three centuries, far longer than it ever belonged to Spain.

There’s an element of hypocrisy here.

Spain rules two enclaves in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, which are both claimed by Morocco. They are the only African territories still ruled by Europeans.

Although Europe claims to respect human rights and the rights of peoples, it has been a party to violating the most essential right of the Jewish people: the recognition of its existence for more than 3,000 years, and the anchoring of this existence to its sacred monuments. Worse, Europe does so in the name of a people fictitiously invented less than 50 years ago. No serious scholar can find any trace of a “Palestinian people” before the 1960s. Europe has apparently been all too happy to accept lies.

While claiming to fight terrorism, Europe complies with the demands of a terrorist movement that does not even bother to hide its terrorist nature. When Mahmoud Abbas speaks Arabic, he continually incites the murder of Jews. He recently repeated that he would not stop paying tried, convicted and imprisoned murderers of Jews, and still calls these murderers heroic “martyrs.” On all maps used by the Palestinian Authority and in Palestinian textbooks, Israel does not exist; it is called Palestine.

Europeans, imbued with a generic sense of guilt, began attributing all that is wrong in the world to Western civilization. Because they had colonized parts of the Muslim world, they failed to note that Muslim culture had, in fact, colonized Persia, the Byzantine Empire, the Middle East, Greece, Cyprus, the Balkans, North Africa, Southern Spain, and, more recently, northern Cyprus. (Gatestone Institute 7/20)

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Turkish schools drop Darwin

Turkey’s new school curriculum drops the theory of evolution and adds the concept of ” jihad as patriotic in spirit”. The move has fueled fears that populist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is subverting the republic’s secular foundations. (Independent)

POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS

a. A white Australian woman was shot dead by a policeman In Minneapolis over the weekend.

Headlines around the world announced that she was shot by an American cop.

The cop, it turns out, was a Somali immigrant, a Muslim named Mohammed Noor.

Was the fact that he is a Somali Muslim a factor? Possibly.

What was certainly a factor is that he is an immigrant from Somalia, one of the most violent countries in the Islamic world, a country famous for its mistreatment of women.

Once again, an innocent victim would still be alive if there were stricter controls on immigration.

b) I’m looking forward to going to see the movie “Dunkirk” which begins this weekend. The movie tells the true story of the 1940 evacuation from the French coastal town of Dunkirk of 330,000 British troops who were about to be captured by the German army.

USA Today gave it a good review. However, the reviewer fell victim to political incorrectness when he ended his review with these words: “… the fact that there are only a couple of women and no lead actors of color may rub some the wrong way.” (“Dunkirk an immersive look at heroism,” 7/18).

It wasn’t until 1948 that non-whites started arriving in Britain in significant numbers; and women were not used in combat until fairly recently.

But how would a generation raised on political correctness possibly know that?

Note the following from a review of the movie “Atonement” (2007) which featured the evacuation from Dunkirk. The same problem perplexed the historical adviser to the movie.

“She said that as a historical advisor on Atonement (2007), there was a decision that had made her uneasy – the depiction of a black soldier appearing with Robbie (the main character) in Dunkirk. She asserts: “In fact, it was almost impossible for there to have been a black soldier in the British Expeditionary Force in France.” She suspects this was done “to reflect today’s multicultural society” and “gave a misleading impression of how Britain was at the time.” The film did prompt discussion.”

(Presenting the black past – how history must change the media,11/14/13).

Further to what I posted on Monday, here is the front page headline in Tuesday’s Daily Express, a conservative tabloid newspaper in the UK. “Migrants cost Britain 17 billion pounds a year” — that’s about $25 bn. (Remember to multiply by 5 for the US equivalent, as the American population is roughly five times that of the United Kingdom.)

It’s no coincidence that the country can no longer afford naval protection for either the Falkland Islands or Gibraltar.

And it’s not surprising that the country fell behind the NATO requirement that 2% of GNP be spent on defense. President Obama got rather angry with the British prime minister over that.

The irony is that, with even more migrants, the country will need to spend more on defense; but can’t because the migrants need the cash!

This reminds me of a passage in Hosea about Ephraim:

Strangers devour his strength, and he knows it not;
gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he knows it not.
The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
yet they do not return to the Lord their God,
nor seek him, for all this. (Hosea 7:9-10; English Standard Version)

I’ve not been able to write much recently. This is due to the fact that we moved house on Sunday. Or, rather, I should say we moved the big, heavy items with the help of younger men from our church. For a month before that, we were moving small items ourselves. Now, we still have to clear out our old house. We have a few more days to do that and then things should get back to normal. (Why is my wife laughing hysterically . . . ?)

Moving house later in life is more difficult. Not only is lifting harder, especially after two major back surgeries and my wife’s cancer surgery. But also we have accumulated more. So this has been an opportunity to get rid of some things. We still have a long way to go, though. We must keep working on it.

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President Obama is in England as I write. He’s upset a lot of people by urging the British to stay in the EU. A referendum on the issue is due in two months.

The US president stated that fighting terrorism is more effective within the European Union. This is debatable – the EU allows freedom of movement within the 28-member organization. In itself, this encourages terrorism.

It should be noted that Switzerland is surrounded by the EU, but not a member and has not had one single terrorist incident.

It’s also true that the EU is not a security organization – NATO is. There is no suggestion that Britain leave NATO.

Thirdly, it has always been the case that foreign leaders do not interfere in elections in other countries. Is a new precedent being set here? Can Mr. Cameron now come over to Washington and tell Americans not to vote for Trump?

Having said that, President Kennedy over 50 years ago, encouraged the United Kingdom to join what is now the European Union. The reason is simple – Washington wants a reliable pro-American voice in the world’s biggest single market.

But how would Americans feel if they were part of an Americas Union, bringing all the nations of North and South America together in one bloc? Would they willingly take orders from Havana and Caracas? That’s exactly what the Brits are having to do as members of the EU. Some member countries have lost considerable financial independence, as they have to wait for orders from Berlin. Germany is the dominant power in the EU. The Union is a socialist bloc that tries to control every aspect of daily life. No wonder so many Brits want out. The president should stay out of the debate and leave it to the British people, who have to subsidize the organization from their taxes each and every day.

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The Obamas arrived in London on the Queen’s 90th birthday. They will be having lunch with her on Friday. The official reason for their visit is to honor the Queen. Mrs. Obama has expressed a desire to see the monarch’s grandchildren and great grandchildren. A family photo was released this week showing four generations of monarchs sitting together – Queen Elizabeth and future monarchs Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George. A similar picture was taken in the 1890’s of Queen Victoria with her oldest son, grandson and great-grandson (the future Edward VII, George V and Edward VIII).

No other British monarch has ever lived to be 90. Nor has any other monarch reigned as long as the Queen. The Queen’s marriage is also the longest ever royal marriage in history. It’s interesting to note that out of 40 monarchs, the three most prominent ones have all been women, Elizabeth I, Victoria and Elizabeth II.

Commentators on BBC World yesterday expressed the opinion that the Queen’s longevity and famous devotion to duty owes a great deal to three things – good health, strong faith and Prince Philip, who turns 95 in June. For the first time, a book on her faith is available for people to read. It’s title is The Servant Queen and the King She Serves. Hopefully, it will influence more of her subjects to reject the secular humanism that has brought so many evils into British society and look to Jesus Christ for solutions to their problems. This is equally true for Commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

In contrast to most world leaders the Queen sees herself as a servant. She is no doubt familiar with the words of Jesus Christ who taught His disciples to be different to the leaders they saw around them.

”But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20: 25-28).

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Pat Buchanan has just written a column on “America’s Imperial Overstretch,” comparing the country’s present state to the last days of the British Empire. Most people today are unaware that when the British monarch was born, the British Empire was the greatest power in the world. At the start of her reign, Britain was still a very powerful country. One of its greatest strengths was the Royal Navy. Now, there are so few ships, there are none available to protect the Falkland Islands from Argentina. Nor are there any to defend Gibraltar. The governments of the two colonies took the unusual step earlier this month of issuing a joint statement reminding potential aggressors (Argentina and Spain) that the United Nations charter calls for the “self-determination of peoples.” The populations of both colonies want to remain British but Britain can’t or won’t defend them.

This is the future Americans have to look forward to – imperial decline on a massive scale.

Note Pat Buchanan’s comments:

“Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, this country has been steadily bled and slowly bankrupted. We are now as overextended as was the British Empire in the 1940s.

“And like that empire, we, too, are being challenged by nations that seek to enlarge their place in the sun — a resurrected Russia, China, Iran. And we are being bedeviled by fanatics who want us out of their part of the world, which they wish to remake according to the visions of their own faiths and ideologies. (“America’s Imperial Overstretch,” 4/14)

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President and Mrs. Obama arrived in England after visiting Saudi Arabia. It was clear the Saudis are upset with the United States. For decades the alliance between the two has been a cornerstone of US foreign policy. Now that the US is cuddling up to Shi’ite Iran, the Saudis feel betrayed. As one commentator put it – they don’t like playing the role of a rejected wife as the husband turns his attention to his new mistress, Tehran! Divorce, however, is not considered an option. It is also the case that many Saudis (maybe most) are more enamored with IS than the US!